SDNA, „Sport24“ and Eurohoops.gr and others report that Villeurbanne’s ASVEL has finally agreed to Panathinaikos’ offer to buy out the point guard, although some time ago there were reports that ASVEL resisted the Greeks’ temptations.
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According to various sources, PAO will pay the French 450 thousand or 1 million euros buyout, and S. Francisco will sign a three-year contract worth about 11 million euros with the Athens club.
The 28-year-old basketball player moved to ASVEL from Žalgiris this summer, when he accepted a long-term contract offer under which the French committed to paying the guard more than 4 million euros per season.
However, the Villeurbanne club faced problems raising the planned budget before the season started, and the Athens club interested in S. Francisco took advantage of this.
It is already reported in Greece that S. Francisco, currently vacationing on the island of Mykonos, should soon arrive in the country’s capital and undergo a medical examination, after which his contract with Panathinaikos will take effect.
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The Frenchman will be coached at the Athens club by the legendary coach Željko Obradović, who returned to lead the team after a long break.
S. Francisco spent the last two years in Kaunas, and the last season was particularly successful for him, as the Frenchman seriously contended for the EuroLeague MVP award and was selected to the symbolic best five players of the season.
On Wednesday, reports appeared in the Greek press that Panathinaikos is also targeting Žalgiris guard Nigel Williams-Goss.
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